Quote:

---

Welcome to America, where men with loaded guns call unarmed citizens “tyrants” and men with Swastika tattoos claim the “other people” are the Nazis …

This is the on-going story of Gilberton, Pennsylvania, a small borough which is living under the constant threat of terroristic violence. Where men with guns block the entrance to public meetings, where public officials openly threaten every member of society who holds a different political view than they do, where councilmen are strip searched and arrested without cause and anyone who tries to fire the Police Chief would be forced to live in fear of retaliation from a militia of armed terrorists. Pennsylvania police chief Mark Kessler is the head of a political organization which refers to itself as “The Constitution Security Force.” Kessler was recently given a thirty day suspension, for using police property as props in a video where he threatens and insults “libtards,” otherwise known as people who hold political views which differ from his own. In a second video, Kessler can also be seen threatening the life of a federal government official, Secretary of State John Kerry.

On August 1st, Kessler called on the militia to attend a meeting of the Gilberton Borough Council, where disciplinary actions against Kessler (for the videos) were being discussed. A State Police helicopter was called to the scene, as more than a hundred armed men and women arrived at the meeting, brandishing AR-15 assault rifles. Armed members of the militia blocked the doors of the public building where the meeting was held, in order to prevent those who wished to speak from entering. Members of the group:

Quote:

---

“angrily confronted Michael Morrill of Keystone Progress, who delivered petition signatures from 20,000 Americans who want Kessler fired. In an email Morrill told me, “I have been organizing for four decades. I have faced Klansmen in Kentucky, Ustase in Bosnia and police indiscriminately beating demonstrators in Italy. [Wednesday] night in Gilberton was more frightening than any of those situations.”

---

Due to mounting tensions and no doubt, concerns over increasing threats of violence from Kessler and his armed political faction, only a small number of residents were given the chance to speak during the meeting. Of those who did speak, however, many said that they themselves, or members of their families, are living in fear of Kessler and his militia.

Quote:

---

You know why there’s not more residents here? The threats. That’s why. Because they’re afraid. They’re afraid they’re going to have their windows shot out.” – Lifelong Gilberton resident Rose McCarthy speaking about Police Chief Mark Kessler and his supporters on July 31, 2013.

---

Others who were allowed to speak referred to Kessler as a “nut,” a liability and a detriment to the small community. Many who wanted to speak were prevented from doing so, either because they were blocked from entering the building or because they were too afraid of retaliation to come forward. On July 31, 2013, the borough’s insurance carrier also contacted local officials, stating that they believe that Kessler may be a liability, as well.

Whether the town of Gilberton, Pennsylvania can legally continue to employ someone who is causing members of the community to live in fear, is yet to be seen. Kessler’s position as Police Chief is one which comes with a great deal of power and one which requires a great deal of trust from the public.

Kessler’s out of control behavior has already cost the town of Gilberton a great deal of money. In 2010 he illegally arrested a councilman and performed a strip search on him.

While Kessler’s own on-line videos are filled with profanity, in 2010 the police chief claimed that the councilman’s use of profanity in a complaint made to the mayor’s office, was cause for his arrest and strip search. No evidence for any alleged “crime” was ever produced. In fact, the same councilman later sued the borough over the incident. An out of court settlement was struck, in which the tax payers of Gilberton were forced to pay $15,000 plus court costs and attorney fees, in a case which the ACLU helped to bring against Kessler and two other Gilberton officials. This settlement was arrived at only after a judge ruled that the arrest was carried out as political retaliation.

The people of Gilberton borough are also rightfully concerned about Kessler’s irrational behavior. In 2011, while off duty, the police chief fired his weapon during a bar brawl, shooting himself in the hand by mistake. At the time of the incident, police and media reports show that the bar was “packed” with people. Excerpts from http://www.addictinginfo.org/2013/08/03/armed-militia-holding-pennsylv
ania-town-hostage/#ixzz2b1RZh5Z7

---

Quote:

---

“For all of you waiting for this day, waiting for the word! TODAY IS THAT DAY ,SPREAD THE WORD, Schuylkill county Pennsylvania, birth place on unconstitutional gun control nullification! I will not stand idle while tyrants attack the constitution . A massive rally will need to be assembled right here in the heart of Schuylkill county ! I stood for my father, my mother, my country, our constitution , I now ask you to stand with me , sholder to sholder, time to show these political hacks here in Schuylkill county they don’t tell we the people anything, it’s we the people who tell the government. If they want to fire the first shot let it begin right here in Schuylkill county , I changed the course of history , one person pushed back against a tyrannical anti constitution government, it’s time we show these tyrants we will not stand for any more violations on our constitution or our freedoms . Every militia , every csf member who can attend please do. P.s Pennsylvania is a open carry state n firearms will be present . So come with your flags n your firearms. MOLON LABE. I’m calling on all true Americans , all militia members, all true oath keepers to assemble, be ready to march on a tyrannical county government right here in Schuylkill county Pennsylvania, democrats are the true enemy of our country, our freedoms, our constitution, along with liberal news agency’s , liberal news reporters, much like hitlers nazis , time we clean these antiamerican thugs from office. TIME TO CHOSE SIDES IS UPON US” (The page has since been removed)

---

Quote:

---

Whereas, the Chief of Police of Gilberton, Pennsylvania have usurped the government of the Town of Gilberton through the use of arms and armed intimidation and Whereas, he has recruited armed vigilantes to block access to town meetings and further has threatened and intimidated town citizens who might speak out in opposition against him and Whereas he has posted videos threatening the life of Secretary of State John Kerry and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi; we the people of the United States call on the President of the United States, Barack H. Obama to order the federalizing of the Pennsylvania National Guard to go to Gilberton to disarm the Chief and his gang and restore law and order to the Town of Gilberton. https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/federalize-pennsylvania-nati
onal-guard-and-disarm-gilberton-pennsylvania-chief-police-and-his-thugs/3pRfNJX7

---

Quote:

---

Kessler, a former coal miner, is active in gun-rights circles, appearing on an online radio broadcast on the conservative conspiracy theory website Infowars, hosting an online radio show on a website that bills itself as the "voice of the resistance," speaking at gun-rights rallies and hosting his own website where he is seeking recruits for what he calls the Constitutional Security Force.

On Wednesday, he would not say how many people have signed up for the security force....The mission, he says on the website, is to help the military or peace officers to defend the constitution and country from "tyranny." http://www.thenewstribune.com/2013/07/24/2693012/pa-police-chief-stirs
-furor-over.html#storylink=cpyRead more here: http://www.thenewstribune.com/2013/07/24/2693012/pa-police-chief-stirs
-furor-over.html#storylink=cpy]

---

Quote:

---

‘Following a public meeting in the Borough of Gilberton, Pennsylvania, in which armed supporters of the infamous Police Chief Mark Kessler blocked members of the community from entering the building.

‘One possible reason the Borough council may not be taking steps to fire Kessler is that officials may fear retaliation from him or his supporters’.

‘Additionally, because Kessler is the head of the police force in this small borough, it is unlikely that members of Kessler’s militia will be arrested, even after their illegal activities at the public meeting in early August’.

‘While the state of Pennsylvania did dispatch helicopters to the public meeting, no further action against the militia has been taken by state officials either’. http://thelastofthemillenniums.wordpress.com/2013/08/06/gun-nuts-out-o
f-control-the-story-continues-petition-calls-for-the-national-guard-to-disarm-militia-holding-one-pennsylvania-town-hostage/ a public meeting in the Borough of Gilberton, Pennsylvania, in which armed supporters of the infamous Police Chief Mark Kessler blocked members of the community from entering the building.... http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=b6b_1375763581#o4Z3OhmY65JHhJU6.99

---

Quote:

---

Hey, isn't this dude advocating treason? Isn't he advocating taking up arms against the lawful government of the United States? literally, in just about that many words? Where are all the patriots opposing this threat to the nation? Isn't he making terrorist threats? Where's Homeland Security-- too busy making nuns take off their shoes at airports?

---

Quote:

---

The hot-headed Pennsylvania lawman who spewed profanities and fired automatic weapons in an extreme series of pro-gun videos has been suspended for 30 days without pay for the bizarre behavior.

Gilberton borough officials said police Chief Mark Kessler, his town's lone cop, was being punished for using borough-owned weapons in his series of foul-mouthed YouTube videos, which went viral and made headlines around the country late last month.

The guns, including a Kalashnikov-style assault rifle and a pistol outfitted with a high-capacity magazine, actually once belonged to Kessler, but he donated them to the borough in January, local WFMZ-TV reported.

The Borough Council official voted 5-1 to suspend Kessler, who's been on the job for 14 years.

Mary Lou Hannon, mayor of the eastern Pennsylvania town, said State Police will take the law enforcement reins for the next month while Kessler cools his heels.

The council hearing on Wednesday drew a large crowd of Kessler's supporters, many of whom carried loaded semi-automatic weapons. Several waved American flags and held signs, including one that said, "Impeach Obama. Kessler for President."


Kessler remained defiant after the ruling, saying he didn't believe he did anything wrong.

Kessler's critics were also in attendance, including members of Keystone Progress, a progressive advocacy group that launched a petition to have Kessler fired.

"This is not about guns. This is not a gun issue," Michael Morrill, director of Keystone Progress, a progressive advocacy group that launched a petition to have Kessler fired, told reporters. "What this issue is about is abuse of power. We have a rogue police chief who is going out of his way to intimidate people."

One attendee told the local Patriot News newspaper that Kessler's videos were "way across the line."

"He's a nut. I do not feel safe with him around at all," Wade Greg Necker, who lives in a nearby town, said.

Meanwhile, Kessler continued to hit out at the borough officials who voted to suspend him in postings on his website and Facebook, calling them "dictators" and "scum polaticians" (sic) who violated his 2nd Amendment rights.

"These dictators took it upon themselves to punish an AMERICAN exercising their constitutional rights!" he wrote. http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/police-chief-suspended-extrem
e-videos-article-1.1417687#ixzz2bCmsYDA6]

---

Quote:

---

For tonight's meeting, about 30 members of the press descended on the small borough building that doubles as the sewer plant, with the foul odors to prove it.

But both media members and Gilberton residents were out-numbered by the gun-toting 2nd Amendment rights activist who flocked in support of Kessler. Some of the heavily armed men acted as security for the meeting -- and for Kessler. Some barred entrance to the borough building at the start of the public meeting. Mayor Hannon hand-selected members of the media to be admitted. Gilberton residents were given first preference to get in. http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2013/07/suspended_gilberton
_police_chi.html

---

Quote:

---

In wake of his suspension, Kessler reiterated that his first and only oath is to his country, not to his badge or police uniform.

---

Quote:

---

What, didn't you hear about this on CNN, Fox, MSNBC, or really anywhere else? Isn't NPR even interested in this story? For whatever the reason, no one is touching this. Perhaps the Federal government fears a stand off and doesn't want this to snowball, or inspire other towns with similar demographics to go the same route. Whatever the reason, this is a true case of media blackout.

So this is what the far right, tea party, libertarians want to take this country. Pennsylvania is a northeast testing ground for far right politics. I'm just waiting for Wisconsin, Michigan, North Carolina, Texas, Georgia, North Dakota, etc. to follow. If you think the radical right in those states aren't watching, just wait.

We need to DEMAND that the media outlets start covering this story. This bodes very dangerous if it becomes a trend in the USA.

---

Quote:

---

"Gilberton officials demand inventory of suspended police chief's guns"

Gilberton officials want an inventory of embattled police Chief Mark Kessler's firearms registered in the borough's name.

And they want Kessler, who was suspended last week over his profane, pro-gun YouTube videos, to scrub the Internet of any reference to his employment as Gilberton's police chief.

In a letter to Kessler through his lawyer last week, Gilberton Solicitor Karen L. Domalakes said officials have been made aware that Kessler purchased many guns in the name of the borough police department.

"At this time we are requesting an inventory of the weapons currently registered in the name of the Borough of Gilberton Police Department. We also need to know the location of these guns," Domalakes said in the letter dated Thursday.

The letter notes that at the meeting Wednesday where Gilberton council suspended Kessler without pay for 30 days, it also passed a policy barring borough employees from using their affiliation in any public statement, video or document without council's permission.

"We are advising that Chief Kessler should remove any reference to his employment with the Borough of Gilberton from his 'YouTube' posts, 'Facebook' posts and other Internet statements," Domalakes said.

Kessler's lawyer, Joseph P. Nahas of Frackville, Pa., did not immediately return a phone call Monday afternoon.

At a meeting where more than 100 people jostled for space inside the meeting room and others carried semi-automatic weapons outside, Borough Council voted 5-1 without discussion to suspend Kessler, the police department’s only member. In the meantime, state police will cover the borough.

Residents had been angrily calling Borough Hall as media all over the country, as well as at least one website in the United Kingdom, carried the story of Kessler’s videos. http://articles.mcall.com/2013-08-05/news/mc-gilberton-police-chief-gu
ns-video-letter-20130805_1_borough-council-chief-kessler-borough-hall

---